Weed-destroyer.



Patented Oct. 30, [900,

M. J. ANDERSON.

WEED DESTROYER.

(Application filed Jan. 5, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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N0. 660,612: Patented Oct. 30, I900.

M. J. ANDERSON.

WEED DESTBOYER.

(Application filed Jan. 5, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 $heets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON JOSEPH ANDERSON, OF DUFUR, OREGON.

WEED-DESTROYE'R.

senemmmen forming part of Letters Patent No. 6 0,612. dated October so,1900.

Application filed January 5, 1900- Serial No. 503. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON JOSEPH AN- DERSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Dufur, in the county of Wasco and State of Oregon,have invented a new and useful Weed-Destroyer, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to weed-destroyers of the class disclosed in myprior application for Letters Patent, filed February 18, 1899, SerialNo. 704,904.

The present improvements are directed, first, to a novel construction ofone of the weed-cutter shares and an improved arrangement of theweed-cutter shares by which the weeds and trash severed by the cuttersare thrown in opposite directions in order to lighten the draft on themachine, and, secondly, to an improved construction and arrangement ofparts for raising and lowering the cutter-carrying frame withoutaffecting the position of the seat-frame.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand my improvement, I have illustrated thesame in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a weeddestroyer with one ofthe carrying-wheels removed, showing the present improvements embodiedin the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the machine, illustrating therelation of the oppositely inclined series of single weed cutting knivesrelative to a doublewinged central cutter. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional elevation taken in the plane indicated by the dotted line 3 3of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail horizontalsectional view of themeans for pivotally connecting an arm of the cutter-carrying frame tothe seatframe. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of a hanger for thecutter-carrying frame. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of thedoublewinged central cutter detached from the machine. (Shown by Figs. 1and 2.)

The same numerals of reference are used to indicate like andcorresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

10 designates an ordinary seat-frame conin raising or lowering thecuttercarrying frame; but in the present machine I employ a singleaxlewhich extends the full width of the seat-frame to have the wheelssupported directly on the ends of said axle, and the cutterframe isconnected pivotall y with the seat- .frame by devices which turn oncenters afforded by the axis of the Wheeled axle.

The axle 13 is a single bar of metal, square or polygonal incross-section, except at its ends, Where the axle is made of cylindricalformation to produce the Wheel-spindles 14, and the length of this axleand its spindles exceeds that of the seat-frame in order that the endportions of the polygonal or squared length may extend beyond the endrails of the seat-frame. The carrying-wheels lo are fitted loosely onthe spindles to occupy a spaced relation to the end rails of the seatframe. construction and confined on the wheel-spindles by any usualdevices.

. The cutter-carrying frame 16 is similar to the machine of the formerapplication, and

'it consists, preferably, of a metallic bar having its ends bent to formthe forwardly-ex- These wheels may be of the usual.

tending arms 17, said frame arranged to lie at the rear portion of theseat-frame for its arms to extend toward the axle 13. I resort to theemployment of the frame-hangers 18 (shown more clearly by Figs. 4 and 5)to "connect the cutter-carrying frame to the seatframe and the axle 13.Each hanger is cast in a single piece of metal to form a sleeve 19 and ashank 20, the axis of the sleeve being at right angles to the length ofthe shank. This sleeve is provided with a longitudinal polygonal opening21, the cross-sectional area 4 of which corresponds substantially tothat of the polygonal section of the axle, and this Y sleeve isfurthermore provided with an annnlar groove 22, which forms the spacedshoulders or collars 23. The shank of the hanger is formed with alongitudinal groove 24 in one of its side faces, said groove terminatingin an abrupt shoulder 25 at the line where the shank joins the sleeve.The hanger has its shank applied to the free extremity of an arm forminga part of the seat-carrying frame in a manner for the arm to be receivedin the groove 24, the extremity of said arm abutting solidly against theshoulder 25. Bolts 26 are passed through the grooved hangershank and thearm of the cutterframe in order to make the hanger fast with thecutter-frame arm in a very substantial and secure manner, and in thisconnection it is to be observed that the flanges and the shoulder formedon the shank by the provision of the groove 24 therein serve to relievesome of the strain on the connectingbolts 26. Thecircumferentially-grooved por tion of the hanger-sleeve is receivedloosely in the axle-bearing 12 in a manner for the shoulders or collars23 to bear against opposite sides of the axle-box, whereby the hanger isloosely connected to the box in order to turn or rock freely therein,and at the same time the shoulders restrain the hanger-sleeve fromendwise displacement in said axle-box. The polygonal part of the axlepasses through the polygonal opening of the hanger-sleeve, so that thehanger is made fast with the axle for the purpose of making the axle andhanger turn in the axle-box on the adjustment of the cutter-carryingframe. 1

Any suitable operating means may be employed for the purpose of raisingand lowering the cutter-carrying frame on its pivotal connection withthe seat-frame without changing the position of the latter. As one meansfor thus adjusting the cutter-frame I employ a lever 27, which isfulcrumed to the drafttongue by a bolt 27, said lever carrying a latch28, adapted to engage with a notched segment 28, which is fixed to thedrafttongue. The lower end of this lever is shown by Fig. 3 as having alink 29 pivoted thereto, said link being pivoted to one end of anauxiliary lever 30. Said lever 30 is fulcrumed on the rear bar of theseat-frame to have its rear extremity linked to the cutter-frame at themiddle thereof; but it is obvious that the axle 13 may be provided withan arm and the lever arranged to be connected with said arm in orderthat the axle may serve as the means for raising the cutter-carryingframe, because the hangers 18 are made fast with the axle and the frameand are mounted so as to turn in the axle-boxes of the seat-frame.

the present invention resides in a dou'ble winged central cutter 33,which is carried by the middle cutter-hanger 31, and in connec tion withthe central cutter 33 I employ two series of reversely inclined singlecutterblades 34 35, arranged as shown more clearly by Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings. struction of the central cutter 33 is represent ed by Fig.6 as consisting of the blades 36 37, arranged in divergent positions soas to meet in a prow at the front middle part of the cut ter, each wingor blade of the double cutter having a lower cutting edge. The wing orblade 36 of said double cutter is provided with an upwardly-extendingmoldboard 38; but the other wing or blade 37 has its ends bent to formthe flange 35-9, the latter being applied against the inner face of thewing 36 and fas= tened thereto by the bolts 40. The ends of the wings orblades where they meet are beve eled and inclined upwardly andrearwardly to form the cutting edge 41 at the front extremity of thedouble cutter, and as each wing or blade has a cutting edge it will beseen that the double cutter is adapted to sever the roots of any weedswhich may lie in its path, whereby the cutter is adapted to sever acomparatively wide swath and to deflect the weeds or trash inoppositedirections from the central line of the machine.

The series of single blades 34, carried by the cutter-hangers on oneside of the machine, are arranged in positions oblique to the line ofdraft and substantially parallel with one blade of the double centralcutter; but the other series of single cutter-blades 35 are inclined tothe line of draft in reversed relation to the single blades 34, and thusarranged to lie substantially parallel to the other blade of the doublecentral cutter. It is therefore to be understood that the two series ofreverselyinclined single cutter-blades are adapted to act on the rootsof the weeds and other vegetable growths within the area of thecutterframe, and these single blades are disposed in such relation tothe double central cutter as to coact therewith in deflecting the weedsand trash in opposite directions to the line of draft,

whereby the draft of the machine is materially lightened. I alsocontemplate providing each of the single cutter-blades with anupwardlyextending moldboard 42, and each cutter of the series has thecurved fingers 43 arranged .to extend in front of the cutter-hangerforassisting the cutters in deflectin g the weeds and trash to the rearof the cutter mechanism, thereby minimizing the tendency of theoperating devices to become clogged by accumulations of refuse.

Changes may be made in the form and proportion of some of the partswhile their essential features are retained and the spirit of theinvention embodied. Hence I do not desire to be limited to the preciseform of all the parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

Although I have shown and described two The con series ofreversely-inclined single-blade cutters on opposite sides of a doublecentral cutter, I would have it understood that the machine may beequipped with a continuous series of double bladed cutters eachconstructed in accordance with the double cutter of the type shown byFig. 6 of the drawings.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In aweed-destroyer, the combination with a seat-frame, and acuttercarryingframe, of a Wheeled axle extending across the seat-frame, frame-hangerssleeved on said axle and secured rigidly to the cutter-carrying frame,said hangers being mounted in the seat-frame to turn freely therein.

2. In a Weed-destroyer, the combination with a seat-frame, and acutter-carrying frame, of a polygonal wheeled axle extending. across theseat-frame, frame-hangers sleeved on said axle and secured rigidly tothe cutter-carrying frame,said hangers being mounted in the seat-frameto turn freely therein, and means for adjusting the cutter-carryingframe, substantially as described.

3. In a weed-destroyer, the frame-hanger cast in a single piece andcomprising the shank and the sleeve arranged substantially at rightangles one to the other, said sleeve having a polygonal axle-opening andthe external annular collars, substantially as de scribed.

4. In a Weed-destroyer, a frame-hanger consistin g of theright-angularly-arranged sleeve and shank, said shank provided with alon gitudina] groove, and the sleeve having an annular groove bounded bythe spaced collars, substantially as described.

5. In a weed-destroyer, the combination with a seat-frame,of theaxle-boxes,the frame= hangers having grooved sleeves fitted loosely insaid boxes, a cutter-carrying frame secured firmly to the hangers, anaxle passing through the sleeve of said hangers, and means for adjustingsaid cutter-frame, substantially as do scribed.

6. In a Weed-destroyer, a double cutter consisting of blades meeting oneanother and united together at the center of the cutter, the meetingends of said blades being beveled and inclined to form a sharpened prow,and the blades being formed to diverge rearwardly from a point in therear of the sharpened front edge of the prow and one of the blades beingcontinued upwardly at its front end to form a colter, and curved fingersattached to the colter with their upper ends extending away from andover the blade of which the colter forms a part.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MILTON JOSEPH ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE FRANCIS MCMANENNY, SAMUEL ll/IILES OSBORN.

